Nobody Remembers the People in the Middle

In his Wisdom From The Patio video series, Kongusto President and founder Joel Ciniero uses a simple race analogy to explain why comfort may be a business’s most dangerous habit.

When people watch a race, they remember the first-place winner, says Joel Ciniero, but they also remember the competitor who fails spectacularly right at the end. What they rarely remember is everyone in between.

“You never want to finish in the middle,” Ciniero says. “Nobody remembers the people in the middle.”

For Ciniero, the same rule applies to business. “You never want to be caught in death by mediocrity,” he warns.

The reason it’s so easy to fall into, he explains, is that the middle feels good. “Mediocrity is comfortable. Mediocrity is safe.” A company that matches what its competitors are doing, avoids bold decisions, and settles for acceptable results rarely feels like it is taking a risk.

But the safety is deceptive. “You’re never going to win being mediocre.”

For telecom providers, managed service providers, contact centers, and outsourcing organizations, where many competitors can look and sound alike, the message is worth taking seriously. A business that sets out to be good enough gives customers very little reason to remember it, and even less reason to choose it again.

A race is a simple image, but it carries a direct message for any leader deciding how much risk is worth taking.

The takeaway: Playing it safe feels comfortable, but a business that settles for the middle of the pack gives customers nothing to remember.

Watch Joel Ciniero’s “Middle is mediocre” video, part of his Wisdom From The Patio series.

Connect with Joel Ciniero

Joel Ciniero is President and Founder of Kongusto, a nearshore outsourcing company. To learn more about his perspectives on business leadership, workforce strategy, and outsourcing excellence, visit www.kongusto.co or contact him at joelc@kongusto.co.